Is it Nana or Shichi? A Brief Introduction to Japanese Numbers — Step Up Japanese - Japanese Lessons Online with Fran Wrigley (2024)

FAQs

Should I say nana or shichi? ›

As noted above, yon (4) and nana (7) are preferred to shi and shichi. It is purported that this is because shi is also the reading of the word death (死), which makes it an unlucky reading (see tetraphobia); while shichi may sound too similar to ichi (1), shi or hachi (8).

seven. し(shi)ち(chi) / なな(nana) shichi / nana.

As for 7 which can be SHICHI and NANA there is no cultural reason for using a different version. Many times different versions are used simply because they are easier to say or over time perhaps a certain version has become the standard. One interesting modern exception to a rule is on aircraft when dealing with time.

The Japanese word for seven (people) is 七人 (しちにん – shichinin). Another way to say it is: 七枚 (ななにん – nananin).

The Most Popular Grandmother Name in Every State

Our nationwide survey reveals that 'Grandma' remains the uncontested champion across the U.S. However, there are some close competitors. Nana sweeps the board, stealing hearts in 21 states. Nana is the go-to nickname in the Midwest, the Northeast, and the West.

Nana is the most common nickname for a Grandma in thirty-two states. But if someone doesn't call their grandmother Nana, odds are they do call her Grammy or Gram, as these are relatively popular alternatives to Grandma, as well.

“Ichi, ni, san, yon... (or is it shi?), go, roku, nana (or shichi), hachi, kyuu (but sometimes ku)...” Oh, yeah...Japanese has multiple words for the same number! Seven can be either "nana" or "shichi", for example.

The shih tzu Chihuahua mix is a small dog, and they are generally small enough to be considered a toy breed. This dog stands between 9 and 12 inches tall at the shoulder, and they will weigh between 9 and 16 pounds.

The ShiChi is a designer mix between the purebred Chihuahua and Shih Tzu. As designers go, this hybrid is popular due to its looks and disposition. The ShiChi also goes by other names, including the Chi-Shi and the Chi-Tzu and is recognized by several breed registries.

56 can be read as "go-mu", meaning "rubber" (ゴム, gomu), referring to One Piece protagonist Monkey D. Luffy's elastic abilities. 59 can be read as "go-ku" and is sometimes used in reference to Goku from Dragon Ball.

How do you spell 21 in Japanese? ›

Twenty is "ni-juu" (2X10) and for twenty-one, just add one (nijuu ichi). There is another numerical system in Japanese, which is the native Japanese numbers. The native Japanese numbers are limited to one through ten.

Native Japanese counting: “hitotsu” (1), “futatsu” (2), “mittsu” (3), “yottsu” (4), “itsutsu” (5), “muttsu” (6), “nanatsu” (7), “yattsu” (8), “kokonotsu” (9), and “tou” (10).

To write Japanese numbers, you can use the Kanji characters: 一 (1), 二 (2), 三 (3), 四 (4), 五 (5), 六 (6), 七 (7), 八 (8), 九 (9), and 十 (10).

For example, 4 is "yon" in native Japanese and "shi" in the Chinese variant that has been included in Japanese; 3 is "mi" in native Japanese and "san" in the Chinese variant, and so on.

In Japanese there are two words for some numbers. For example number 4 is yon or shi and for 7 it is shichi or nana. For announcements on train platforms they do not use shichi, because it sounds like "ichi", which is the word for 1.

You'll notice above that for the Japanese numbers 4 and 7, there are two different words. The first ones (“yon” and “nana”) are more commonly used because the word for “death” in Japanese is “shi.” Using “yon” instead will prevent other speakers from thinking you bring up death all the time in casual conversation.

Nana is a given name that has different origins in several countries across the world. Its use as a feminine or masculine name varies culturally. It is feminine in Japan, Georgia, Serbia and Greece, and it is masculine in Ethiopia and India, and epicene (unisex/gender neutral) in Ghana and Indonesia.

In Bangladesh, Pakistan, and many parts of India, maternal grandparents are called Nana and Nani. Similarly, paternal grandparents are called Dada and Dadi.